Grand Valley Lanthorn vo. 56 no. 21

G R A N D VA L L E Y L A N T H O R N

Dawn of the DI Dynasty Co-captains start brand-new Ice Age at GV

Hunger and Homelessness club expanding reach, mulling rebranding

CLUBS | A9

GV Women’s Basketball sweeps regular-season series against Ferris State Bulldogs BASKETBALL | A11

M O N D A Y, F E B R U A RY 7, 2 02 2 // VO L . 5 6 N O. 2 1

@ GV L A N T H O R N

LANTHORN.COM

A2 | NEWS NEWS BRIEFS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

MESSAGE

GV COVID-19 CAMPUS DATA UPDATE

The Grand Valley State University community has had a cumulative total of 7,053 cases since Aug. 1, 2020. The university’s update for this brief was from Friday, Feb. 4.

Through testing results this past week, GVSU’s Virus Action team have so far reported 385 current active cases including 12 faculty members, 44 staff members, 82 on-campus students, 142 “off-campus Ottawa” students, 78 “off-campus Kent” students and 27 “off-campus other” students with active COVID-19 cases.

“Current active cases” is the count of positive cases reported to the Virus Action Team over the past 10 days.

This is an estimate of those currently in isolation, assuming a ten-day symptomatic period following the reporting of a positive test result. Actual periods of isolation are specific to the individual and determined by the county health department.

Vaccination: GVSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. All students, faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, barring a medical or religious exemption or postponement. According to the COVID-19 data dashboard, an 80% vaccination rate in the GVSU community is required to reach herd immunity and minimal virus transmission.

Currently, approximately 86% of students report being fully vaccinated, while approximately 93% of faculty and staff reports being fully vaccinated.

There are currently 2,216 students and 141 faculty/staff with approved vaccination exemptions.

Testing and Incidence: GVSU’s own testing program has performed 123,826 tests overall since Aug. 1, 2020, for a cumulative positivity rate of 2.16% from the latest update as of last week. A total of 1,483 tests were performed over the last seven days.

“GV Surveillance” includes the GV/ Spectrum administered programs of randomized testing, regular testing of high-risk groups and invited testing of individuals connected to potential clusters. A calendar is available. “GV Total” includes surveillance testing plus all symptomatic/exposure tests administered by Spectrum.

GV MOURNS THE DEATH OF BEATRICE “BEA” IDEMA

Grand Valley State University and West Michigan communities are mourning the death of philanthropist Beatrice “Bea” Idema who died on Feb. 3.

Idema and her late husband, Bill, were longtime supporters of the university.

Their donations helped to establish the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons on the Allendale campus in 2013.

PLAN: Grand Valley State’s Student Senate has three events planned to highlight and celebrate Black History Month on campus. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

Unity in inclusivity: GV Student Senate recognizes Black History Month

BY JOSHUA ALBURTUS NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

February has been federally recognized as Black History Month by every U.S. President since 1976.

This year, Grand Valley State University’s Student Senate has begun work to again recognize and broadcast the month’s importance on campus.

Spearheading the senate’s efforts for Black History Month, the Senate’s Diversity Affairs Committee (DAC) is putting together preliminary plans for ways to best symbolize the month’s message.

The Senate’s Vice President for Diversity Affairs, Kyle Gineman, is collaborating with his colleagues on the Senate’s Educational Affairs and Public Relations committees to plan events.

“We actually have three events planned,” Gineman said. “We have a trivia night planned, we have a movie night planned and then we’re going to plan a service project so student senators can get out into the community sometime this month and make a change within the Grand Rapids community.”

While the service project has not yet been defined by his committee, Gineman said the DAC would be meeting soon to determine specifics regarding the event.

In addition to events and a promotional bulletin board outside the senate office, the DAC has also coordinated with GVSU’s

Mary Idema Pew Library to construct a book stand in its lobby featuring prominent titles by Black authors focused on Black history and achievement.

The need for the DAC’s work and the inclusion of minority communities is highlighted by the university’s current demographic makeup.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Black and African American students only constituted about 4.4% of GVSU’s student body in the fall of 2019.

Gineman said there’s great importance behind recognizing Black History Month and spreading that message throughout campus.

“I think the importance behind it is just making sure that people within the African American community feel seen and heard,” Gineman said. “We just want to make sure that we’re able to celebrate the heritage, we’re able to celebrate the history and to do that we can to recognize the month.”

While the DAC continues its own work to acknowledge Black History Month, the senate’s general assembly considered possible changes to its mission and vision statements.

Though not directly related to Black History Month, deliberation over possible new statements sparked ideas for how the governing body could make these statements as inclusive as possible to guide future action.

Tamela Spicer, Senior Program Manager for GVSU’s Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, spoke to the senate and facili-

tated the start of their search for a more inclusive message.

“Part of the job of the senate will be, once they have a statement crafted, that idea of going out and sharing it with people to see what they think (and) to see how it feels,” Spicer said.

To start this portion of crafting their statements and moving forward, Spicer said she would advise the senate to begin by taking their ideas to relevant student affinity groups like GVSU’s Black Student Union (BSU).

As an active campus presence, the BSU defines their mission on the university’s LakerLink website as being “To unite students, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexuality through education and awareness and provide an environment that will promote unity within the GVSU campus community.”

Spicer said that including groups like the BSU will achieve the senate’s goal of inclusive statements and actions going forward.

“This is why I encourage them once they draft a statement to live with it for a little while and share it with people,” Spicer said.

“Take it to the Black Student Union and say, ‘What do think of this? How does the language feel?’”

Spicer said inviting people into the conversation of statements and action is key if the senate aims for unity and inclusivity.

A3 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

CONTENTS MESSAGE

| A2

OPINION

| A4

COVID-19

| A5

HOCKEY

| A6&7

VOLUNTEER

| A8

DIVERSITY

| A9

GALLERY

| A10

BASKETBALL

| A11

TRACK

| A12 VOL. 56

NO. 21

Lanthorn Videographer KATE KIRBY

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief ZACK GOODROW

Layout Editor KHOI TRAN

Associate Editor AUDREY WHITAKER Associate Editor XAVIER GOLDEN

Layout Designer DONOVAN LOPEZ PROMOTIONS

News Editor MARY DUPUIS Sports Editor HOLLY BIHLMAN Laker Life Editor JACOB DEWEERD A&E Editor

Promotions Manager GRACE O’BRIEN ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Manager JORDAN GREEN

DOCUMENTARY

GV Counseling Center starts conversation on health and social justice

BY LAUREN FORMOSA NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

This semester the Grand Valley State University Counseling Center is helping students facilitate conversations about social justice and healthcare in the United States.

On Feb. 3, the Counseling Center hosted its first event at the Kirkhof Center.

These weekly events focus on episodes of the documentary series “Unnatural Causes,” which aims to answer the question: is inequality making us sick?

“Unnatural Causes” events are INT 100/201 approved. All GVSU students are welcome to attend and learn more about social disparities in healthcare.

Associate Director and Director of Prevention and Community Education at the GVSU Counseling Center, Melissa Selby-Theut, said that conversations about health inequalities related to social justice issues are important for everyone to take part in.

She said learning how social determi-

SERIES: Grand Valley’s Counseling Center is holding a weekly social justice series based on the documentary “Unnatural Causes” centered around the social disparities in healthcare. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

nants interact with healthcare can open students’ eyes to the consequences of health inequality and the importance of future healthcare reforms.

“We all have a responsibility to both acknowledge and play a part in breaking down these health barriers,” Selby-Theut said. “Regardless of one’s major or what field they’re pursuing, as a member of our

campus community, of our larger community and of our society, we’re making sure people understand so that they can actively dismantle these systems.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

BUSINESS STAFF

SABRINA EDWARDS

Image Editor MEGHAN LANGREN Multimedia EditorHAILIEGH HUBER

Business Manager MORGAN JOHNSTON Asst. Business Manager LUKE KREGER Distribution Manager DAYTON HAMMON

At the Lanthorn, we strive to bring you the most accurate news possible. If we make a mistake, we want to make it right. If you find any errors in fact in the Lanthorn, let us know by calling 616-331-2464 or by emailing editorial@lanthorn.com.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn is published weekly by Grand Valley State University students 31 times a year. One copy of this newspaper is available free of charge to any member of the Grand Valley Community. For additional copies, at $1 each, please contact our business offices.

COFFEE

GV alumna opens cafe centered around support, community

BY JAMIE WILSON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

A new, Black-owned cafe called Shift Coffee + Culture has opened on Fulton Street in Downtown Grand Rapids.

The cafe’s owner, Deanna Bossenbroek, is a Grand Valley State University alumna who is an accountant by trade and embodies the creative and inviting atmosphere the shop emulates.

Bossenbroek said she faced the challenge of opening a business without any prior knowl-

The Lanthorn is published on recycled paper and is printed with soy bean ink. This means that our newspaper is entirely compostable. Help us do our part to be kind to the environment by recycling or composting this newspaper after you enjoy reading it.

POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to: Grand Valley Lanthorn 0051 Kirkhof Center Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 49401

INCLUSIVE: GVSU alumna, Deanna Bossenbroek, opened a new cafe downtown that supports minority-owned businesses. GVL | MAX RITCHIE

edge of how to do so.

She said the shop’s main objective is to create a community of support by lifting up other minority-owned businesses, especially those underrepresented in Grand Rapids, purchasing and selling their products.

Everything in the cafe, down to the mugs the coffee is poured into, comes from a minority-owned business.

Uncommon Coffee Roasters, currently owned by two young Brazilian entrepreneurs, provides the pastries for Shift Coffee + Culture while Portrait Coffee, a Black-owned business in Atlanta, provides the coffee.

Although they just opened, the chain reaction of minority support is already underway as Shift Coffee + Culture has connected Uncommon Coffee Roasters with two other coffee shops in the area.

“A lot of minorities are not coming from a background of business or connections to business owners,” Bossenbroek said. “Just like me, they’re starting from scratch, so it’s important for me to help them out.”

She said the idea to open her coffee shop came from the fact that, as an accountant, Deanna would do a lot of her

work in coffee shops.

“Everybody needs a spot,” Bossenbroek said. “They need that place outside of their home where they can work from.”

To craft the perfect atmosphere for her cafe, Bossenbroek said she spent six months designing and constructing it.

Tylan Davis, a graphic designer from Grand Rapids, helped bring her vision to life with a fun, original mural that covers the walls.

Bossenbroek said tuning out others’ voices and opinions and focusing on her goals was an important step to help her realize her vision for the cafe.

“I put so much time into every little detail of my shop, so it’s hard to hear peoples’ opinions,” Bossenbroek said. “Some people just want to see their own suggestions implemented or they want me to move away from my own vision.”

A unique aspect of Shift Coffee + Culture is the waffle menu, which features the names of Bossenbroek’s mother, aunt, two of her friends and one of her husband’s daughters.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A4 | OPINIONS GVL EDITORIAL CARTOON

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLANTHORN

By Xavier Golden

EDITORIAL

Joe Rogan and Spotify spark conversation about regulation, misinformation

T

02/07/22

editorial@lanthorn.com

Eternals marries the visions of Marvel’s founding fathers, sets exciting precedent for Marvel Studios

BY XAVIER GOLDEN SENIOR ART EDUCATION WEB@LANTHORN.COM

Marvel’s “Eternals” started streaming on Disney+ on Jan. 12.

It premiered in November of 2o21,

but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (and the obscurity of the titular characters), audiences didn’t exactly flood local cinemas to catch last year’s cosmic installment in the Marvel Studios saga.

Some superhero movie fans and purveyors of high culture are only catching “Eternals” now -- and with all the superficial takes out of the way, perhaps there’s some space for an involved, thoughtful evaluation.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet, but would still like to, there’s one important spoiler-free observation to make (which will absolutely be elaborated on, with spoilers, later).

The original comic books of the

seventies that “Eternals” is based on were written and drawn by Jacob Kurtzberg, better known by his pen name, Jack Kirby. Kurtzberg drew and helped write the first appearances of the X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Captain America and Marvel’s iteration of the folkloric Thor. Kirby’s collaborator on his more successful projects, Stanley Lieber (better known as Stan Lee), had nothing to do with the Eternals comics.

Kurtzberg was a genuine master of the comics form, fully deserving of his nickname “King Kirby.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

21st-century strategies for winning friends and influencing people

BY MADDIE ZIMMERMAN SOPHOMORE BIOLOGY EDITORIAL@LANTHORN.COM

Friendships in college are hard.

You grow up seeing cute college pictures of girls and their roommates, guys and their friends partying every weekend, but that’s not always the case for everyone.

I went into college with such high

expectations for friends. I was so excited to be BFFs with my roommate, to have countless friends and plans. I got to college, and it was completely different. My freshman roommate moved out, I had maybe one friend the whole year and I was lonelier than ever.

I blame half of the loneliness on the COVID-19 pandemic. There wasn’t anywhere to go or anything to do, which made it hard to meet new people. We also had classes online over Zoom. Let’s be real, we all sat at our desks with our cameras off (if our professor didn’t mind), and sat on our phones. We didn’t connect with other human beings. No wonder I was lonely last year.

This year I made it a goal to make things different. I wanted to make more friends and relationships with these people. I had my boyfriend, which helped me get through a lot,

and I felt a lot less alone. But you still have to have some friends.

My biggest tip for making friends is just to bite the bullet, and talk to people. Yeah, it might be scary to ask for someone’s social media or number to connect, but this is the only way you get to meet people and make plans.

Facebook has been a life saver for me. Trust me, I never thought I would be using Facebook at 19 as much as my mom does, but it has helped me find so many friendships. Each GVSU class has a Facebook page and I strongly suggest joining all of them.

I posted a short bio about myself and my hobbies and a few pictures of myself or things that I like to do and asked people to either add me on Snapchat or follow me on Instagram.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

his past week has seen calls from well-known musical artists for Spotify to actively regulate the content they publish on their platform.

Joe Rogan is a celebrity podcaster who covers politics, economics and healthcare. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogan has framed himself as an authority on alternative, non-mainstream medicine. He’s downplayed the severity of the virus, promoted untested treatments and questioned the safety of vaccines. “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a Spotify-exclusive podcast, is Rogan’s primary platform.

Recently, artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their music from Spotify.

Several other musicians and public figures have demanded that Spotify regulate Rogan’s podcast, instead of giving him an open platform to spread misinformation.

Later in the week, videos of Rogan using racial slurs were circulated around social media.

Another video involved Rogan comparing a Black neighborhood to a “Planet of the Apes” movie. Since

then, Spotify has removed over 70 episodes from their platform.

As Spotify said in a public statement, they don’t want to be censoring artists— nor should they.

No institution should be silencing voices on the basis of opinion or potential obscenity. But when social media and other tech platforms play large roles in public crises, it begs the periodic question as to whether or not the tech industry itself should be more heavily regulated.

Former president Donald Trump was able to freely proliferate his debunked claims of election fraud across Facebook and Twitter, before the companies themselves made the autonomous decision to remove his content.

However, that came after Trump incited the Jan. 6 insurrection, which resulted in the bodily harm of capitol police, destruction of public property and death threats against elected officials.

While Rogan’s claims haven’t incited violence, his podcast still poses a public threat.

GVL OPINION POLICY

Letter to the editor should include the author’s full name, relevant title and a headshot, along with a valid email address and phone number for confirming the identity of the author. Letters should be approximately 500-650 words in length, and they are not edited by the Lanthorn staff except to fix technical errors or to clarify. Reader submissions on the opinion page appear as space permits.

To make a submission, email editorial@lanthorn.com or drop your submission off in person at:

The goal of the Grand Valley Lanthorn’s opinion page is to act as a forum for public discussion, comment and criticism in the Grand Valley State University community. Student and columnist opinions published here do not necessarily reflect those of the paper as an entity.

The Lanthorn strives to be a safe vehicle for community discussion. With this in mind, the Lanthorn will not publish or entertain any forms of hate speech, but neither will it discriminate against any other views, opinions or beliefs.

The content, information and views expressed are not approved by-nor do they necessarily represent those of-the university or its Board of Trustees, officers, faculty or staff.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

0051 KIRKHOF CENTER GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ALLENDALE, MI 49401 616-826-8276

A5 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS COVID-19

GV professors adapt to increased student absences

BY ANTHONY CLARK JR. NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The path to providing a safe learning environment, with a significant rise in student absences, has continued to present roadblocks for Grand Valley State University professors.

Although GVSU remains at a modified Alert Level 3, a recent email from the Virus Action Team (VAT) stated that the number of positive cases on campus has seen a downward trend.

Joel Stillerman, a sociology professor at GVSU, said he recognizes the challenges the virus has created for all professors and students, especially with the rising number of student absences.

Stillerman said it seems as though the community has faced a dilemma with remaining in-person or moving back to an online learning format while they debate the best option for all. “(Student absences) are noticeable and are definitely higher than they were last fall,” Stillerman said. “There was definitely a concern about exposing our community to the new variant, but the administration reaffirmed we would be mostly in-person.”

The university administered a “highflex” option for all instructors that allowed them to teach students in person that want to come to class physically, while those who

do not feel comfortable doing so can still attend classes via Zoom or recorded lectures.

Though this option is provided, Stillerman said it is far more demanding and can create learning obstacles as students who are joining class online may not have their questions answered in a timely manner, while also being unable to engage with their peers.

“I wanted to set healthy boundaries for both those in quarantine and those actually in class,” Stillerman said. “I think students can understand it’s difficult to be teaching in class and trying to respond to those on Zoom. A lot of students and faculty are feeling pretty burnt out at this point, and the thought of teaching high flex is exhausting; to me, at least.”

GVSU Communications professor, George Nichols, said he believes the university is handling the situation to the best of their abilities and noted the need for students and instructors to have in-person social capacities to create a better learning environment.

“I feel that GVSU has responded properly to a highly challenging situation,” Nichols said. “In-person classes can offer a much-needed social dynamic that is important to development and learning. In my opinion, by taking measured steps to keep people safe, the administration is doing an effective job at doing what is right for students.”

LEARNING: Grand Valley State University professors have had to adapt to increased levels of absences in their classrooms due to the current COVID-19 quarantine protocol. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

Nichols said although he feels the university is doing a good job, he recognizes the higher number of student absences and has tried to make his classroom flexible.

“Students face more struggles than ever before in this pandemic era,” Nichols said.

“To that end, I’ve tried to be more understanding of a student’s need to miss class, especially when it comes to their physical and mental health.”

College administrators and the VAT are urging students who are not fully vaccinated

or unvaccinated and those who are not upto-date should receive their next dose.

Students who are not up-to-date with their vaccinations will be required to quarantine if they have been exposed to the virus beginning Feb. 11 in order to stay in accordance with the Ottawa and Kent County health department policies.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

STAFFING

GV libraries forced to reduce hours due to COVID-19

BY GILLIAN HANTON NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

SHORTAGE: Grand Valley’s libraries have had to reduce their hours due to COVID-19 related staffing shortages. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

The Mary Idema Pew Library on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus and Steelcase Library on GVSU’s Grand Rapids campus have are central fixtures in the lives of students.

Despite continuing to be students’ go-to place for countless study sessions, meetings and exam weeks, the libraries are facing an ongoing challenge: adjusting to hardships presented by COVID-19.

Due to the recent rise in the COVID-19 cases across campus and staffing shortages, library administration has had no choice but to reduce their hours.

The change in COVID-19 Alert Level at the beginning of the semester from Alert Level 2 to a modified Alert Level 3 considerably affected operations on the Allendale and Pew campuses.

According to GVSU’s Alert Level 3 policy, access to on-campus resources should be “significantly reduced.” This designation encourages taking caution when attending in-person classes, planning extracurricular activities and utilizing university facilities.

However, Brian Merry, Manager of Operations and User Services, said the library staff have been working to the best of their ability to follow safety regulations while also accommodating the needs of students.

“As we’ve had ebbs and flows because of the pandemic, we’ve tried the best we can to minimize the negative impact on students,” Merry said, “We studied the billing usage data across all locations during the fall semester, and we’ve made the changes to hours where it was less busy.”

Despite the efforts of library administration, the reduction in operating hours has still had an impact on GVSU students.

Junior Isabelle Hoffman said she has had to modify her study schedule since the adjustment occurred.

“The change in library hours has affected me because I like to start my homework really early Sunday mornings,” Hoffman said.

“Since the library doesn’t open until noon that day, I have to wait until opening.”

In addition to the decrease in hours, the libraries are also facing staffing shortages. However, this is not an isolated occurrence at GVSU. Libraries across the country are facing

similar issues with finding staff to maintain regular hours of operation.

COVID-19 related quarantine periods have caused employees to call off work, resulting in thousands of libraries struggling to keep their doors open.

The Grand Rapids Public Library announced Jan. 19 that they would begin closing early due to staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 related incidents. The change in hours will affect all locations.

Merry suggested that students can participate in productive environments at other campus locations.

“Right next door at the Kirkhof Center there are some underutilized spaces,” Merry said. “There are study spaces which are open until midnight seven days a week.”

Although relocation may be a difficult adjustment for adamant library-goers, they can rest assured that library services are available virtually.

“We still offer our full suite of services when we’re open and even times when we’re not open,” Merry said.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A6&7 | SPORTS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

Team captains celebrate milestones, building a legacy for the future of GV DI hockey

BY HOLLY BIHLMAN SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

As the men’s DI club hockey team gears up for seat announcements in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) Conference at the end of the month, team captains Zach Borchardt and Shane Haggerty already have a great deal to celebrate.

Just three weeks ago, Haggerty hit his 50th point in the 2021-22 season, followed

by Borchardt’s 50th season point just two weeks ago. Along with this accomplishment, Borchardt also hit his 50th career goal earning himself the Franchise AllTime Goals Per Season record with 39; though, the pair of captains are practically in-step with each other when it comes to putting pucks in the back of the net.

With their back-to-back games this past weekend against Michigan State University, they both raked in their 100th American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) career points to top it all off. With their various GLHCL Player of the Week honors throughout this season alone, it’s no surprise the team captains have made such an im-

pact on Grand Valley State University’s club hockey program in the two seasons they’ve played together.

Although their journeys started when they were both barely old enough to hold a hockey stick, Borchardt found his way into midwestern hockey culture a little bit later than Haggerty did.

“I’m originally from St. Louis Missouri, so hockey is not — well it’s getting there — but it wasn’t as big as it is here,” Borchardt said. “My dad never played, my mom never played, but for some reason they just got me started into it at like, two or three, and I haven’t really looked back since.”

Growing up watching the St. Louis Blues with his younger brother and dad, Borchardt wasn’t exposed to the kind of hockey that is played in Michigan until the end of sixth grade when they made the jump up north to get closer to family.

While Borchardt and his brother have always enjoyed hockey with each other, his two younger sisters are dancers, often splitting his parents up between competitions, tournaments, games and weekends.

Haggerty’s mom on the other hand, has come incredibly close to attending

LEADERSHIP: Junior forwards Shane and Zach have taken the reigns this season, leading their first season together as a Division I club team. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR (SHANE HAGGERTY)

every game that he’s played, but since he’s grown up here, it’s not so hard for her to make them all.

“I’m from Grandville so my home rink is the rink we play at now,” Haggerty said.

“So, nothing has really changed for me.

After high school I played at Metro Detroit for a year and then came here, but most of my hockey career’s been through that rink down 48th Ave, so it’s been fun.”

With his sister’s softball season always being opposite to his hockey seasons, it makes it easier to have her support there along with a handful of the other parents, Borchardt’s dad included.

Since Haggerty decided to come to GVSU for the Sports Management program after playing for the junior league Metro Jets for a year, he’s been able to continue his love for the game throughout college. Borchardt knew he wanted to come to GVSU for Accounting and Finance before he knew how much he wanted to play hockey too.

“I had decided I was going to come to GV and just kind of be a student at GV and be fine with not playing hockey,” Borchardt said. “Then one of my buddies who I played against in high school was one of the returners (on GVSU’s hockey team), and he was like, ‘if you want to play, we have a spot,’ and I just said, ‘I’m fine, thanks.’ And then I went to my brother’s tryouts for the high school team, just to watch, and then I was like, ‘oh, yeah. I kind of miss it.’”

After having the opportunity to play on the same team as the younger Borchardt in high school, he’s been able to make some amazing memories as part of that duo over the years.

“My senior year of high school, he (Borchardt’s younger brother) was a sophomore and made our varsity team, and we went on to win the state championship that year,” Borchardt said. “There were so many memories from that year that have just been great to think about and even still relive them all the time.

That year overall is probably the best

year I’ve had hockey-wise, and even after the state championship game, being there to hug him and being there together was incredible.”

Haggerty’s story from that same year went a little differently.

“I came close to the state championship my junior year,” Haggerty said. “I ended up losing to him (Borchardt), actually. Senior year we kind of chocked, but playing junior hockey was pretty awesome, because it’s like playing in college, but you don’t have to go to school. It was just 24/7 hockey, so we got really close with the teammates and it was really fun.”

While the two have had their fair share of ups and downs through all the different teams and seasons, the one thing that they, along with every athlete now shares, is overcoming the year off with COVID-19.

“We’ve both played hockey our entire lives,” Borchardt said. “Having a year off when we’re 19/20-years-old after having 16/17 years of continuous hockey was more of just like, a weird feeling I think more than anything.”

The pair seemed to use that extra year off to do some similar things without a season going on in their busy lives.

“The year off made me really start to loosen up and not get so frustrated about certain things,” Haggerty said.

“Because for me, it made me realize I only have a couple years left, so I started to enjoy it a lot more. It’s really made a big impact on me.”

Borchardt concurred, dedicating a little bit of the pandemic to their combined maturity on the ice now.

“Two years of maturing in general has been a lot of it,” Borchardt said. “With the pandemic, we’ve had, basically a year — not off — but just to reflect on where you’re at and where you want to be, and I think that helped us to be who we are now. I know for me, it’s just a little bit of a break and a reset, and I’m just trying to have a lot more fun with it.”

While fun is always the driving force

behind any great team, the two leading scorers on the team understood what it meant to make the jump to Division I this season.

Working even harder to match up with their new opponents and lead an incredibly young roster to the success they’ve seen this year has been no easy feat, but with a strong team to back them up, it’s certainly not impossible.

“DII and DIII is treated like club hockey, but in DI, the Aquinas, Calvin, Davenport teams, they all treat it as varsity and they’re all fully funded,” Haggerty said. “So, people go there to play hockey. That’s been the biggest adjustment, is that you have schools who are fully funded and take it a lot more serious, which I think was kind of a surprise to some of the new guys.”

With these adjustments for both the team captains, coaches and the rest of the team, they’ve started to come together as a competitive team willing to take on the challenges of DI club hockey.

“Everyone now is on board with, ‘we’re playing hockey,’ and fun is more of a byproduct than the goal of it,” Borchardt said. “I think there’s just a lot more eyes that see it and a lot more attention than there would be otherwise, for the better and the worse, so there’s a lot more opportunity to leave a bigger impact.”

As far as their individual success has gone this season, they humbly dedicated a great deal of it to the younger players on the team who’ve stepped up and made their jobs that much easier.

“Zack Kippe and Nick Sommerfield have been really coming along, and I don’t think they get enough credit,” Haggerty said.

“They’re on my line and I think I get too much of the credit when it’s really, I just give it to them and they go and score, because all my points are assists.”

Similarly, on Borchardt’s line, a lot of the heavy lifting is done as a unit rather than as just one person.

“Playing with Josh Suzio and Sam Lechel, they make it so easy for me to score that it’s not really fair for me to get attention, or for everyone look at me and think, ‘that’s the leading goal scorer on the team,’” Borchardt said.

“They’re just easy placement shots resulting

from plays that they made. Even on the power play too, Shane passes it to me sometimes and I don’t even know how it gets on my stick, and then it’s just finishing it with a shot. I get the fun part for sure.”

With both captains having three years of eligibility left due to the five-year eligibility in a normal year and then the complications of COVID-19, the two plan to continue next season on the team and possibly for their fifth years as well.

While Borchardt plans on grad school after his senior year at GVSU, hockey will always be in his future, though his competitive playing days may be winding down by then. For Haggerty, he wants to become an athletic director so he can always be surrounded by the environment he’s grown so close to over the years.

As for the rest of the team that they’ll leave behind when they graduate, the younger players will have some big skates to fill.

“In terms of (goals for the team’s future), having a good identity and good character overall,” Borchardt said. “Because I know when we got here, there really wasn’t much set up like that and everyone was kind of just figuring out what we wanted to do and what we wanted to be like. So, I think at least getting started on a good, sound idea of what we want Grand Valley hockey to be like every year is a good start.”

GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR (ZACH BORCHARDT)

Now that the roster is full of experienced players who are dedicated to GVSU hockey’s legacy, there’s no telling what the team could accomplish, even before Borchardt and Haggerty say their goodbyes. Through all of the late-night practices, the wins and the losses and the friendships that they’ll be able to keep forever, their legacy in the program has only just begun.

A8 | NEWS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLNEWS

VOLUNTEER

‘Days of Community Action’ get GV students involved

BY ALEXANDER VERHEEK NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

The Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) at Grand Valley State University is currently holding a series of events called Days of Community Action where students have the opportunity to volunteer at local organizations.

The next event will be held at the As You Are (AYA) Youth Collective on Feb. 26. Students will meet in the Kirkhof Center and take a bus to the AYA Youth Collective.

The AYA Youth Collective is a local resource center for young adults ages 14 through 24 facing homelessness.

The organization offers a variety of resources including basic hygiene items, meals, access to electronic services and transitory housing.

According to their website, in addition to providing these services to undeserved youths, they place an emphasis on building relationships to help those in need find a sense of stability in their community.

As part of Days of Community Action, the CSLC is planning to send GVSU students to help the AYA with cleaning and administrative needs.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some organizations have not been able to accept as many volunteers as in the past, and some have not been able to accept any volunteers at all.

These limitations as well as concerns from students about being in spaces with a large number of people, has led the CSLC to experience a reduction in the opportunities they once had in providing these community service programs.

However, graduate assistant for civic engagement at the GVSU Office of Student Life, Giavonna Ward, said with smaller group sizes the program is thriving once more.

“These Days of Community Action is a program that we had done a few years back, prior to COVID-19, and we decided to bring them back,” Ward said. “The whole goal is that it’s smaller groups, it’s typically only about 10 to 12 students.”

With these smaller group sizes, the CSLC is hoping that it will allow them to continue hosting community service events while providing a safer environment for the volunteers and organizations that they serve.

Looking forward, the CSLC is hoping to

SERVICE: Grand Valley State University’s Community Service Learning Center is holding a series of events called Days of Community Action to encourage student community service. GVL | ARCHIVES

bring back the larger events they were able to hold in previous years if case numbers drop to a stable level.

Ward said she hopes to see more student involvement in community service in the future.

“We are always trying to get students more involved in our events, and we also

try to encourage them to do things on their own or with student organizations,” Ward said. “Being a resource for whatever makes sense for students and how they want to serve their community.”

Students who’re interested in attending the event at AYA Youth Collective are asked to RSVP on LakerLink.

PREPARE

GV resume workshops offer feedback from industry professionals

BY GRACE SMITH NEWS@LANTHORN.COM

On Jan. 31 students met with local industry professionals to receive feedback on the formatting, content and course translation of their resumes during the Grand Valley State University Career Center’s resume review workshop. The workshop is held each month.

Although the companies being represented at the workshop vary from month

to month, students were able to meet with a wide variety of businesses.

The companies in attendance were Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc., JR Automation, Northwestern Mutual of West Michigan, Peace Corps, Samaritas and the YMCA of Grand Rapids.

Students and the represented companies were both able to benefit from the workshop. Students who attended received constructive evaluations of their first im-

REVIEW: Grand Valley‘s University’s Career Center recently held a resume review workshop where students could receive feedback from industry professionals on their work. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

pressions from future employers, while the companies that attended connected with prospective future employees.

This also allowed businesses to promote their employment and training opportunities to students they connected with.

A GVSU career advisor Kristie Scanlon said there are many benefits to attending these workshops.

“Part of engaging prospective employers on this is to make them less scary (to students),” Scanlon said. “Naturally, there’s a sort of anxiety when you go to an interview, and practicing makes everyone feel better and makes the process feel less intimidating.”

The Career Center built the event around students’ busy schedules.

While the event spanned about four hours, it was broken into time slots in order to accommodate other responsibilities of students.

Those who wished to attend could sign up for as many 10-minute slots with industry representatives as they chose.

Scanlon said the speed at which students received feedback was one of the main affordances of the event.

“Every time you practice interviewing or have someone review your resume, you’re getting immediate feedback,” Scanlon said.

“But I think what students benefit from is the confidence boost, and being able to say ‘Hey, I just did this practice interview with

an employer and they gave me really positive feedback.’”

The Career Center will be hosting another Resume Review Workshop on Feb. 18 from 12-2:00 p.m.

At this workshop, there will be representatives from D.A. Blodgett, Deksia, Deloitte, FWF, Herman-Miller, Penske Truck Leasing, Sherwin-Williams and Specialty Tooling Systems.

Some employers will be promoting full-time jobs and internships within the company.

There will also be a workshop held on March 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for those who cannot attend February’s event.

As this workshop is being held closer to spring graduation, it could be one of the last chances many students have to receive feedback before applying to jobs post-college.

In addition to these workshops, the Career Center offers resume, cover letter and personal statement reviews with the career advisors by appointment year-round.

Career advisors also offer mock interviewing services and application reviews for jobs and graduate schools.

Students who are interested in feedback from peers can drop in for advising at the Career Lab. Students can visit the link for further information about the Career Center opportunities or on the Resume Review Workshops.

A9 | LAKER LIFE

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLLAKERLIFE

A LOOK AT LIFESTYLE TRAIN TO BE A MEDICAL SCRIBE THROUGH GVSU SCRIBE ACADEMY On Feb. 9, the GVSU Scribe Academy will be providing free medical scribe training. Medical scribes work at emergency departments and other medical offices, so students with writing skills majoring in health professions may be interested in this profession.

Scribe training can also provide useful clinical experiences to bolster a resume.

Attendees can choose training locations to attend through LakerLink.

EXPLORE POTENTIAL CAREERS IN ECONOMICS The Career Center is hosting a “Meet the Employers” event on Feb. 9 for those interested in economics careers.

The event will be attended by faculty advisors, alumni, and field professionals who will present on the skills and experiences required to be successful in the economics field. Despite the event being virtual, it is designated as business professional so attendees should dress nicely. Students, alumni, and staff are all welcome to attend.

LEARN ABOUT AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP FROM GRACI HARKEMA On Feb. 11, Graci Harkema, owner of international DEI consulting firm Graci LLC is giving a presentation on leadership development and inclusive work environments. Harkema, who also serves on several LGBTQ+ nonprofit boards and was recognized by Grand Rapids Business Journal as a powerful West Michigan business leader, is an advocate for helping employees feel empowered to reach their true potential. This event is only open to students.

GET INTRODUCED TO ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONS The Career Center is continuing the “Meet the Employers” event on Feb. 10 for accounting students. Faculty from the accounting department and employers from local accounting firms and corporations will attend this virtual informational event. Recruiters and employers are starting to recruit for upcoming winter and summer internships, so this is a great way for interested students to get their foot in the door early. The event is open to all students, not just accounting majors.

EXAMINE THE TALIBAN’S TAKEOVER OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN Scholars at Risk is hosting a presentation on the what has happened to higher education in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country. Said Reza Kazemi Ph.D., visiting researcher at Heidelberg University is presenting his findings based on interviews with university administrators, lecturers, and students from Afghanistan.

DIVERSITY

Office of Multicultural Affairs unpacks

experience of Black men in higher education

BY MELIA WILLIAMS LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

Each February, Black History Month highlights the contributions and culture of the Black community in the United States and Canada. To kick off a month-long series of events celebrating Black History Month, Grand Valley State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) held a virtual discussion highlighting Black men in higher education on Feb. 3.

OMA Assistant Director Juanita Davis began the event by sharing statistics on African American students in terms of education. Before the rest of the panelists began to talk, she shared that GVSU is aware of these statistics and is working to change the narrative.

“Black women graduate at a 10% higher rate than black men,” said Davis. “The school-to-prison pipeline for Black men is a result of a lack of education.”

Davis then introduced Phillip Todd, who was the host for the remainder of the event.

Todd is a success coach for diverse population retention initiatives and co-lead of the Black Male Scholars Initiative program at GVSU. The rest of the panelists included Dr. Barry Hall, Assistant Director of the Charter Through College program and Interim Director of the OMA, Bobby Springer, Assistant Director of Veterans Upward Bound and co-lead for the Black Male Scholars Initiative and Dr. Donta Truss, Vice President of Division of Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach.

Todd asked the panelists what made

ZOOM: Attendees of this virtual event learned valuable advice from Black scholars. Panelists shared their experiences as students and discussed staying motivated in school. GVL | ANNABELLE ROBINSON

them want to attend college.

“In high school, college wasn’t an option for me,” Hall said. “Basketball was my drive, but the push of my family made me do it up to my doctorate degree.”

The remainder of the panelists mainly spoke about people that helped them along their educational journeys.

Springer highlighted the fact that he started out working with non-white students in a summer job, then worked his way up from there. Hall decided during his undergraduate study that he wanted to pursue higher education.

“I started out as a high school counselor, but a teacher told me that I could have a greater reach if I taught higher education,” Hall said. “I can connect with people that

may have had similar life experiences.”

Seeing other people of color on campus is more important than many might think, Truss said. It makes students feel like they aren’t alone even though they may be living on their own for the first time.

“When people can connect with more people, it increases your chances of doing well,” Truss said.

The final question from Todd before the discussion was opened up to questions from the audience focused on the panelists’ past. Todd asked what the panelists would tell their younger selves if they could meet them today.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

CLUBS

Hunger and Homelessness club expanding reach, mulling rebranding

BY JACOB DEWEERD LAKERLIFE@LANTHORN.COM

On Feb. 2, the Hunger and Homelessness club at Grand Valley State University held its first meeting of the semester. The club welcomed new members and discussed expanding their services, changing up the club’s image and service opportunities available throughout the rest of the semester.

The student-led Hunger and Homelessness club has been around since 1989 and focuses on service, advocacy and volunteer work in the GVSU community. During typical years, members complete in-person

SERVICE: The Hunger and Homelessness club has found new ways to volunteer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. GVL | JACOB DEWEERD

group-service projects in the Allendale and Grand Rapids areas. Lately, the club has shifted its efforts to virtual and individual service due to COVID-19.

“We’ve had a difficult time, especially last year when there weren’t a lot of people on campus and most organizations didn’t allow in-person volunteering,” said Club President Maya Deciechi.

Deciechi said adapting to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging.

“We had to get creative and figure out a whole bunch of ways for people to volunteer virtually or at home, so we created a document that we update throughout the semester with ways for our members to continue to volunteer and help our community while also being safe,” Deciechi said.

In order to make volunteer opportunities more accessible, the club started maintaining a virtual calendar with volunteer opportunities for members to keep an eye on. The calendar is updated monthly and has helped the Hunger and Homelessness members stay organized throughout the uncertainty

of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The calendar was a solution to a problem caused by COVID,” said second-year student Logyn Miller. “And at the end of the day it probably forced us to adapt the club to a better point. If anything, it’s been hard but it’s also made us stronger.”

After the introduction of a few new members, the meeting shifted to discuss a rebrand of Hunger and Homelessness.

As the club has branched out to a broader selection of service opportunities, board members have considered a name change to signify the shift.

“We have previously focused on groupbased volunteer opportunities and we will still put energy into finding opportunities like that, but we also are shifting to putting more energy into just finding volunteer opportunities for our members,” Deciechi said.

“This includes opportunities at food banks, thrift stores, medical facilities, et cetera.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A10 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AT A GLANCE CRAFT FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS The Honors Student Council at Grand Valley State University is inviting those who’re interested to come craft friendship bracelets with them Monday, Feb. 7. This event will run from 7-8 p.m. It’s free to attend so those who’re interested are welcome to bring their friends and do some DIY activities. This will be taking place in the Niemeyer Multipurpose Room and is being hosted by the Fredrik Meyer Honors College. Supplies will be provided at the event.

BE A PART OF BRAHMS FEST

Program four of the Brahms series festival will be takes place on Feb 7.

This is the fourth program in a series of six total programs. There will be an on-campus viewing as well as one off-campus.

Both concerts are completely free and open to the public. Throughout this festival, The Grand Valley Department of Music, Theatre and Dance have been showcasing all of Brahms classical works.

On Monday the event will take place in the Haas Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. This will feature a piano trio and a piano quartet. Sookkyung Cho will be playing piano with Letitia Jap on violin, Pablo Mahave-Veglia playing cello and Barbara Corbató playing viola. For those interested in getting updates and reminders, there’s a mailing list available for the chamber series on the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance’s page.

LISTEN TO LIVE MUSIC AT WORLD OF WINTER

World of Winter events are happening all week but there are certain dates to keep a lookout for in order to catch the live performances. On Feb. 9 there will be live percussion performed by the group Goat Trip. This will take place under “The Singing Tree” installation in front of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The performance will start at 7 p.m. regardless of the weather. Those who attend should dress warmly as it’s all outdoors. There’ll be another chance to catch this performance on Feb. 23.

City Built Brewing will have a beer tent up at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11 for those who’re interested in grabbing a drink and listening to live music. There will be performances from The Legal Immigrants, Conrad Shock + The Noise and King Possum. The tent will be located at 820 Monroe Ave. There will be a chance to see the pop-up performer on Feb. 11 from 6-8 p.m. There will be performers scattered around Grand Rapids, those looking to see some of these performances should explore the installations for World of Winter and hope to run into one of these performers.

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLARTS

GALLERY

GRAM features new exhibits highlighting creators

BY SABRINA EDWARDS ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) is now featuring two new exhibits that celebrate and bring awareness to Black culture. These first exhibit highlight the work of Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems in “Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue.” The second, “Seen and Not Seen,” features work from local Grand Rapids artists. Both exhibits opened on Jan. 29 and will be at the GRAM until April 30.

“GRAM’s Chief Curator Ron Platt conceptualized ‘Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue’ when he met with the artists back in 2018, whose questions and contributions significantly informed the framework and outcome of this exhibition,” said Alaina Taylor, GRAM Communication Assistant. “Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems are two of the most important and influential photo-based artists of our time.”

Bey and Weems are showcasing a focused selection from over 40 years of work.

Both were born in 1953, during a time of social change in America. Bey and Weems have both tackled the same topics, race, class, representation and systems of power in work surrounding African American events. The two focus on the human condition and how real people have been affected by these situations.

“This exhibition spans five decades in their careers, shedding new light on their distinct artistic approaches and trajectories, as well as their shared focus on amplifying communities and experiences that have been underrepresented throughout history,”

DISPLAYED: The GRAM is featuring two new exhibits in their upper level galleries, highlighting the hardships faced by underrepresented communities and sharing their voices. GVL | MAXWELL RITCHIE

Taylor said.

Their work is centered on Black experiences throughout their lives and how their communities have experienced major social events. Many times this has been seen through the eyes of white creators, but it impacts every community in different ways.

“From the beginning of their careers, both artists knew their lived experience as Black Americans was vastly different from the narrow and prescriptive representations in mainstream American culture,” Taylor said. “Both saw how they could use the medium of photography to visually record their own presence in the world, and to create authentic images of Black Americans.

This exhibition is grounded in those specific African American realities while simultaneously speaking to the universal human condition.”

This is the first time their work has been shown together like this and after it will be traveling to other cities to be shown in the same way. “‘Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue,’ as the title suggests, centers around a relationship between two artists,” said GRAM Chief Curator Ron Platt. “Their relationship is rooted in personal, social, and aesthetic concerns, and demonstrates the two artists’ instincts for interpersonal connection, as well as the strategies they have learned and engaged to navigate and succeed in an art world with narrow confines. For Bey and Weems, dialogue is as crucial to their art practice as unique creative vision.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

COLLECTION

Grand Rapids Public Library Introduces New Vinyl Collection

BY AYRON RUTAN ARTS@LANTHORN.COM

On Jan. 24, the Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) announced a new vinyl record collection at the West Side branch and Main Library. Both locations will feature listening stations where visitors can use turntables to listen to the new records.

Library members can also check out five records at a time and even borrow turntables to take home with them. Due to limited supply, patrons may only borrow one

NEEDLE DROP: The Grand Rapids Public Library is increasing their collection and adding vinyl records for members. GVL | MEGHAN LANDGREN

turntable at a time. Those who visit either location don’t need a library card to listen to the records on-site, only to check them out. The GRPL is also accepting donations of vinyl records.

Marketing and Communications Manager Kristen Krueger-Corrado said that the idea of introducing vinyl into the libraries stemmed from a surge in the use of vinyl by local musicians.

“Our staff was interested in pursuing a local music collection and discovered that local musicians were switching formats from CD to vinyl,” Krueger-Corrado said.

“We decided that it would be interesting to expand the new collection more broadly.

The goal of this new project is to help create an experience around the vinyl format, there will be turntables both present in the libraries as well as being available for checkout.

Krueger-Corrado said that the new listening stations foster a sense of community in the libraries.

“They can provide a moment of pause in your day,” Krueger-Corrado said. “We’re experimenting with micro collections like this one in our libraries. Our goal is for

patrons to interact with our collections in new ways. This can be seen in our vinyl area where we curate not only records, but books and DVDs to highlight material related to one subject.”

In 2021, more vinyl records were sold than CDs for the first time since 1986 according to Recording Industry Association of America’s year-end report.

“By lending portable record players and vinyl, we hope that our patrons will try a new format that they haven’t used before (or used many years ago.),” Krueger-Corrado said. “By providing both the equipment and the records, it makes using the collection more accessible.”

Krueger-Corrado said that the GRPL is currently prototyping the collection at two of its locations.

Offering a new collection of vinyl also offers benefits to the Grand Rapids Public Library, as it helps them connect with a new group of visitors. Krueger-Corrado said that this aspect of the project was her favorite.

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

A11 | SPORTS

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

QUICK HITS

BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS TWO ROAD GAMES

The Grand Valley State University (14-7) men’s basketball team went on the road Feb. 3 and 5 to Sault St. Marie for their games against Lake Superior State (13-7) and then to Big Rapids for Ferris State University (18-3). These were the Laker’s first road losses of the season and their overall record dropped to 8-5 in the GLIAC. They lost both games by just three points.

On Thursday, the Lakers opened up the first half with a 12-point lead with senior guard Deleon Brown taking charge. The Lakers’ strong start was quickly diminished when the first half ended and the team started the second half under pressure.

With a little bit of foul trouble starting off the half, senior forward Jake Van Tubbergen rejoined the game after Lake Superior benefited off free throws. With five minutes left in the game and the score at 64-62 LSS, Van Tubbergen and Brown’s 34 combined points couldn’t get the score up enough for the win. With the game tied 71-71 with 13 seconds left, LSS scored on a layup for the game point.

The final score was 75-72, LSS. On Saturday, the Lakers fell short in the final moments of the game once again. Van Tubbergen came up with 14 points right behind senior Christian Negron with 16, half of which boosted a 10-2 GVSU run in the second half of the game, breaking the 37-37 tie.

Brown led the scoring of the night with 19 points, but just as the clock ran out with seven seconds left and a threepoint deficit, the Lakers fell to the Bulldogs.

Next up on the Laker’s schedule is Northern Michigan University (8-11) Feb. 10 to try and regain their strength this season.

BRANDON MILLER BREAKS 200M DASH GV RECORD

Freshman track and field athlete Brandon Miller broke the 200m dash record last week at the Grand Valley State University’s Snowdown Showdown on Feb. 4. As the only GVSU athlete to hit a qualifying mark on the men’s side in the GLIAC so far this season, Miller ran a 21.57, 12 seconds under the provisional time.

The previous school record for the 200m dash on the men’s side was made by Sean Wells in 2015 with a time of 21. 62.

Miller also competed in the 60m for 7:04 and the 4x400 relay on Friday, hitting a personal-best in the latter with a time of 3:12:92.

Miller and his teammates will travel to South Bend, Indiana to compete in the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 5 to continue making qualifying marks for the upcoming GLIAC Indoor Championships at the end of the month.

WIN STREAK: The GVSU women’s basketball team is on their 14th win in a row, aside from a cancellation and another postponement, after beating Lake Superior State and Ferris State University. Their ability to keep nerves at bay this season has been impressing coaches and fans all year. GVL | SYDNEY LIM

GV Women’s Basketball sweeps regularseason series against Ferris State Bulldogs

BY JUSTICE STEINER SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The no. 8 Grand Valley State University (19-1) vs. Ferris State University (15-7) rivalry was once again put into action on Feb. 5 as the women’s basketball team traveled to Big Rapids to take on the Bulldogs for the second time this season.

Although the final score may not indicate it, GVSU controlled much of the game.

The Bulldogs made their biggest push early in the contest as they took their first lead with 6:56 remaining in the second quarter behind a commanding 11-3 run.

However, it didn’t last long as senior guard Emily Spitzley swished a three-point basket from the right-wing on the ensuing possession to help the Lakers regain the lead with the score at 26-24 with 6:37 remaining in the first half.

“It was definitely a game of runs,” Spitzley said. “We knew they were going to have some shots at us and we were just going to have to come back and stay steady with our game and do what we do.”

That 19-second span would be the only lead for the Bulldogs as a balanced Lakers offense continually held off any momentum the Bulldogs tried to establish.

“I think our kids’ willingness to take

shots and good shots (was the key to success); they don’t take bad shots,” said coach Mike Williams. “They’re willing to hunt shots this year that they weren’t last year and earlier this year.”

Towards the end of the third quarter, the Lakers began to separate themselves. Sophomore guard Ellie Droste had a bounce pass out of a double team to fellow sophomore guard Hadley Miller on a backdoor cut which led to a layup and eight-point Laker lead.

On the next possession for the Lakers, sophomore Rylie Bisballe had the final basket of the quarter and gave GVSU a double-digit lead heading into the final quarter of play.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs did get within four points, but senior guard Qay Stanton knocked down four consecutive free throws to close out the game and help give the Lakers a 75-68 victory.

“Playing Ferris is always a fun rivalry game, so anytime you can come out of here with a win, it’s so much fun,” Spitzley said.

The victory gives the Lakers a regular-season sweep over the Bulldogs and expands on their impressive winning streak as they’ve now won 14 consecutive games.

Williams said he feels as though his

team has not felt the pressure of being a top-10 team in the country on a lengthy winning streak.

“These kids, they’re unique, I don’t think they feel it (pressure),” Williams said. “They might as it goes on, they might start seeing some of that stuff, but I think they’re just enjoying basketball right now.”

Spitzley led the way for the Lakers with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Bisballe added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals, while senior Hannah Kulas chipped in with 11 points, including three three-point baskets.

The energy of the Lakers bench also contributed to their victory. Cheering, motivating and celebrating their teammates seemed to be the X-factor in the hostile environment.

“Our bench puts in so much work,” Spitzley said. “In practice, getting us ready for this game and then (during the game) on the bench they lift us up when we’re down.

When Ferris would make a run, they remind us to keep our head in it.”

Looking ahead, the Lakers will host Northern Michigan University (8-11) on Feb. 10 before facing off against Michigan Technological University (12-8) on Feb. 12 for the annual sawyers day game.

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 GRAND VALLEY LANTHORN @GVLSPORTS

A12 | SPORTS TRACK

Track and field national champion Judith Essemiah looks to defend her number one spot

BY JAMES HERRICK SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

Since arriving at Grand Valley State University by way of Amsterdam, junior Judith Essemiah has never shied away from hard work. The track and field throwing national champion’s dedication to her sport has certainly paid off as she is now a staple of GVSU track and field.

Essemiah’s athletic journey started back in the Netherlands where she excelled in sports at a young age, most notably, dance.

However, heading into high school she had to take a year-long hiatus from playing sports.

“I wasn’t academically gifted per se, but I had pretty good grades all the time,” Essemiah said. “When I went to high school, my parents wanted me to quit sports for like a year so I could focus on class. I barely made it out of the year. After that, I was like, ‘I’m going to do any sport; I don’t care what.’”

Essemiah, who was 13 at the time, signed up for track and began competing in throwing events. While experimenting with other sports like tennis and basketball, she began to focus more on throwing, and it eventually became her only sport. This allowed her to spend more time practicing her throws while maintaining strong academic success.

As her high school career wound down, Essemiah realized she could go to school

in the U.S. and progress in both academics and throwing.

“It was never that I knew I was better than most people,” Essemiah said. “I just knew I was okay at (throwing) at that moment and I knew that America would have a space for me, no matter how good I was.”

Once it was time to determine what university she would attend, GVSU checked all the boxes.

“I just wanted to go to school where I knew I didn’t have to take too many loans, and that was GVSU,” Essemiah said. “I also felt comfortable talking to the coach and to my teammates here.”

Essemiah was unable to visit GVSU before enrolling. Instead, she would watch YouTube videos about the university and eventually fell in love with the school.

Once Essemiah arrived at GVSU for the fall semester of 2018, she immediately went to work.

“Improving is fun, it’s good, but it’s also a lot of hard work,” Essemiah said. “It’s not something that just happens, you have to work your ass off. Every single day when you come to the track you have to be on time and listen to your body. It’s not just (at practice), it’s outside the track too. It’s sleeping well, drinking enough water and controlling your personal life so you can focus on track.”

The hard work that Essemiah put in all

paid off when she won the hammer throw in the 2021 NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Now a national champion, she lives with the pressure of defending her championship.

“Winning a national championship is great; it’s really fun, but you have to do it again,” Essemiah said. “It’s fun for a day or two but then you realize, ‘dang, this is what’s expected of me.’ I have to reach this level every single year.”

Despite the outdoor hammer throw being her main event, she is currently dominating the indoor weight throw. During her first four events of the 2022 indoor track season, she has walked away with three first-place finishes with the only outlier being one second-place finish. Most notably, on Jan. 28 at the GVSU Bill Clinger Classic, Essemiah threw 20.43 meters. This set her personal record and is currently the farthest weight throw of the DII 2022 indoor season.

This performance came after a switch in form. On the Tuesday before the meet, Essemiah tried a wind instead of a swing. Prior to meet day, she had thrown less than 20 times with her new form.

“We changed my entry from a wind to a swing,” Essemiah said. “This really helped, it gave me more control over the weight and helped me throw further.”

Even with her success so far, Essemiah still has lofty goals for the remainder of

THROWER: Netherlands native Judith Essemiah holds the NCAA national championship title for the hammer throw. GVL | LAUREN SEYMOUR

this season.

“Expectation wise, I hope to hit 21 meters at some point,” Essemiah said. “Winning conference and winning nationals would be amazing for sure.”

LOG ON TO: www.lanthorn.com FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

HOCKEY

Lakers win the annual Hockey Fights Cancer game

BY JOSH CARLSON SPORTS@LANTHORN.COM

The Grand Valley State University Division III men’s club hockey team won their matchup against the University of Michigan on Feb. 4.

The scoring started early for the Lakers, taking advantage of a penalty on Michigan that allowed Reider Burgeson to score in the first period off an assist from James and Timmy Baldwin, making it 1-0 for the Lakers.

Later in the first, Timmy Baldwin found the back of the net on James Baldwin’s second assist of the night, giving the Lakers a cushion heading into the second period.

After a barrage of attacks throughout the second and third period, the Lakers were standing strong up 2-0. The Wolverines pulled their goalie, resulting in the Lakers’ Cole Parkhurst sinking a long solo goal, icing the game for a Lakers 3-0 win.

Head coach Dylan Knox expected this game to be a battle after their first matchup,

FUNDRAISER: The DIII club hockey team went up against the University of Michigan’s DIII team in support of the Van Andel Institute Purple Community, ultimately winning 3-0. GVL | JOSH CARLSON

and that is what he got.

“I really liked it,” Knox said. “Michigan is a good team. Last time we beat them 8-1 and we kind of figured that’d be a much tighter game this time, and we proved to be right. But I thought overall, I liked our effort and I liked our result.”

This win was paired with a shutout for Lakers’ goalie, Dominic Stankiewicz, who had 30 saves on the night.

“Dom, along with all three of our goalies, have been monsters all year,” Knox said.

“Again, he just proved it today and it’s nice to see him get a win and a shutout too.”

Paired with their 3-0 win was a successful fundraiser for cancer research partnered with the Van Andel Institute Purple Community, put together by the Lakers’ captain, Brendan Ramboer.

The fundraiser surrounding the game featured a silent auction, a halftime “chucka-puck” game, merchandise and a bake sale.

While Ramboer was the captain to organize the event this year, it’s a standing tradition for the hockey team to help give back.

“This is the fifth annual ‘hockey fights cancer’ game that Grand Valley has put on,” Ram-

boer said. “It started six years ago when our captain had a professor that was diagnosed with cancer. He was close with her, so he decided to put this event on in her honor. It stuck, and we’ve been doing it every year since.”

While Ramboer is the face of the operation, he noted that it was not a one-man show that made this fundraiser possible.

“We had a lot of help from other people too; it was definitely a team effort,” Ramboer said. “There’s a lot going on here today, so I would like to thank all of my teammates for helping me out too.”

Coach Knox was happy to watch his captain put something like a fundraiser together, showing why he is in a leadership position on the team.

“I’m just really proud of Ramboer,” Knox said. “The guy just personifies what it means to be a Laker and what it means to be a captain of this team—showing it by putting all of this together. (I’m) super proud of him, and honestly, it’s just a cool thing to see. Obviously, there’s hockey, and there are sports, but there are things that are larger than that.

It’s nice to see one of our own make something that gives back.”